[mtnbecky]

At 2:20 I was on the ONE section of LEGAL singletrack in the whole of Briones park. A helicopter circled around me, got on his loudspeaker and told me that I, the person on the red bike with the blue jacket, was illegally riding on singletrack in the park. He then went on to say this was my only warning. I'm lookin up at him going , you gotta be f***king kidding me dude....when the trail's clearly marked at the bottom as "special use trail" with a picture of a bike, a hiker and a horse? wtf? I hurried to the kiosk on the bear creek side but of course it was unmanned. Should I write a letter to the papers? The peeps at EBRPD? Is this truly harrassment or just stupidity & ignorance on the pilot's part? I mean hey, when we've got just ONE section it's guaranteed we're gonna be on it. Feedback please...it pretty much ruined my ride :madman: and thanks for the venting opportunity.

 

[GuruAtma]

Of all the things they could use an expensive helicopter for... Do they not have any crime in the east bay any more?

I can see a pilot making an error as to which trail he was watching, but I don't see why they need a helicopter there in the first place.

 

[EBrider]

Should have told him who was number one.

 

[Bikinfoolferlife]

What a shame to misuse a resource like that. Even if it were illegal, a shame to misuse a resource like that. What you get with a bureaucracy with a police force...

ps Be sure to bring this to the attention of EBRPD management and copy in your representatives...

 

[dhtahoe]

What a shame to misuse a resource like that. Even if it were illegal, a shame to misuse a resource like that. What you get with a bureaucracy with a police force...

MD-500D helicopter is $1000 an hour in operating costs. Your tax dollars at work!:madman:

 

[fat_weasel]

MD-500D helicopter is $1000 an hour in operating costs. Your tax dollars at work!:madman:

Your Measure WW dollars at work. I still can't believe that passed. This ought to show that, regardless of the possibility of getting more park land in the East Bay, EBRPD is a lousy agency and doesn't deserve the responsibility of managing it.

Mtnbecky-you should totally write to the Chronicle or any other local newspaper. With the budget in the shape it's in, EBRPD ought to take a lot more heat for this kind of crap.

Man, I'm glad I moved to SLO.

 

[mtnbecky]

in becky's brain as we speak.....

 

[iheartbicycles]

in becky's brain as we speak.....

Becky, Being chased by a helicoptor is intimidating, for sure. It's also a waste. And they were wrong.

But frankly I think you'd be wasting your time to do anything other than just forget about it. What do you expect them to do when you contact them? All they can do is say "oops!" And that's about it.

The guys in the heli didn't take your picture. They didn't add it to a database. The warning they gave you was in all actuality, BS.

Fahgettaboutit.

 

[rensho]

Should have told him who was number one.

+1

 

[mtnbecky]

I know, it's a tough call. It just pissed me off on so many levels...that's the one section I take the high school kids on when I feel they're ready for technical DH and I'm grateful this ish didn't happen when I was out with them. My first response after the first 10 minutes was pretty much, and how many cars are being broken into RIGHT THIS MINUTE because this joker's in the air and not patrolling a trailhead? Gr. Time to curl up in front of the fire and be warm & cozy. Thanks all for your input!

 

[TLL]

A letter to the Times would be therapeutic, but not change anything. Sorry to hear this happened.

 

[LWright]

I think you should file a complaint, when they are wrong they need to be called on it.

 

[lawndale]

becky Smash

 

[Zen_Turtle]

Is it illegal to giv'em the finger?

 

[ATBScott]

Becky - I would not only complain, but as others have said, I would write to the local papers, CC Times, Chronicle, etc... and see if you get it published - especially with the topic of "Pilot obviously not knowing the park trails" and "EXPENSIVE resource being used to incorrectly enforce laws" (that are questionable laws as they are). You might also add how you were so startled that you almost crashed Don't they have anything better to do with their time and money that we "voted in"?

 

[rensho]

Becky - I would not only complain, but as others have said, I would write to the local papers, CC Times, Chronicle, etc... and see if you get it published - especially with the topic of "Pilot obviously not knowing the park trails" and "EXPENSIVE resource being used to incorrectly enforce laws" (that are questionable laws as they are). You might also add how you were so startled that you almost crashed Don't they have anything better to do with their time and money that we "voted in"?

Given CA is like $11B in the hole for this fiscal year, and the park system is going to take a major hit for year, the letter would go a long ways as to what the heck these jokers are doing out joy riding a VERY F'N EXPENSIVE bird. I believe the lease on the bird is $2M/year.

I think the lack of patrolling parking areas is their way of stimulating the economy...

 

[imjps]

Knowing that I was in the right, I think I would have showed they were number one, then, get off the bike and lie down on the trail.

Just to see what they would do.

jps

 

[Actual Size]

Show them alittle astrology next time.

 

[mtnbecky]

fully

 

[mtnbecky]

letter sent...hard to edit to only 200 words though!

in becky's brain as we speak.....

Riding my bike in Briones Regional Park today, I was on the ONE legal section of singletrack offered in the entire park. A Special Use Trail, it runs to the bottom of Bear Creek Road entrance in Orinda. It has been legal to bicyclists well over 3 years. At 2:20 p.m. an EBRPD helicopter circled around me on this trail, startled and yelled at me via his megaphone. He said that I, the rider on the red bike with a blue jacket, was on an illegal trail, all singletrack trails are illegal in East Bay Parks, and then went on to say that this was my Only Warning.

What irks me the most is that I was not doing anything wrong, and the pilot was harassing me. He's wasting taxpayer's money harassing innocent, law abiding cyclists who, along with hikers and equestrians, have every right to ride on this one section of trail.

This was an enormous waste of money, time and logic. All employees of the EBRPD should know the difference between singletrack and fireroad, legal or not, and if they're not sure, from whom to find out before they ruin a legitimate ride.

Becky Brain